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6/20/2023
Amtrak has completed early construction work in advance of building the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, the railroad announced last week.
The long-awaited project began March 10 in Halethorpe and West Baltimore.
Early construction work took place on Track A from Winans to Bridge interlockings and included replacing aging wood ties with 13,500 concrete ties; installing 28,000 feet of rail; and completing track drainage improvements along a 5-mile section, said Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Beth Toll in an email.
"This initial project will directly reduce impacts during later construction phases and maximize the benefits of the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel with higher track speeds and greater system capacity," said Amtrak Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason in a press release when the project began.
The new Frederick Douglass Tunnel will be the centerpiece of the B&P Tunnel replacement program. Two new tunnel tubes will be built to primarily serve Maryland Area Rail Commuter and Amtrak trains. The tubes will replace the 1.4-mile B&P Tunnel, which dates from the Civil War era.
It is the oldest tunnel along this section of the Northeast Corridor and is a bottleneck for Amtrak and MARC trains.